Capping head



June 30, 1953 J. MULLER-STROBEL CAPPING HEAD Filed Feb. l4, 1952 Patented June 30, 1953 CAPPIN G HEAD Zlosef Miiller-Strobel, Zurich, Switzerland, as-

signor to The West Company, Inc., Phoenixville,

.TENT OFFICE Pa., a corporation of Pennsylvania Application February 14, 1952, Serial No. 271,517 In Switzerland March 14, 1950 This invention relates to automatic capping devices and more particularly to a capping head used to seal the closures on ampoules containing Serums, etc.

The present invention provides an improved cappinghead which overcomes disadvantages of prior art devices, and in particular improper crimping and sealing of the closure. Heretofore, this crimping operation has been performed by radial actuation of a die that has required extremely critical control of the movement of the die segments, the position of the ampoule in the die, and the size of the neck of the ampoule in order to obtain proper sealing. It has been found impossible to manufacture the ampoules with such uniform accuracy that they can always be properly sealed in machines of the prior art. The improved construction disclosed herein utilizes structure which properly crimps the closure for the ampoule regardless of variations in the dimensions of the ampoule such as encountered in ordinary manufacture.

The importance of the advantages achieved with the present construction cannot be fully appreciated unless it is clearly understood that the containers or ampoules on which the present capping head is intended to be used are for serums, such as penicillin. These serums are expensive, and therefore, loss due to improperly sealed ampoules must be kept at a minimum. Furthermore, it is vitally important that the physician be able to rely on the proper efficacy and potency of the serum without being concerned with possible deterioration due to faulty sealing of the closure.

A primary object of the invention therefore is to provide in a capping head a plurality of pivotal die members which are controlled by means of a specially shaped plunger to close the die around the neck of an object to be capped before crimping of the closure takes place.

A further object of the invention is to provide improved actuating mechanism for the dies of a container capping head.

A further object of the invention is to provide in a container capping head a die actuator to close a plurality of die segments, then to press and crimp a container cap against the die, thus sealing the cap on the container.

Further objects will be apparent from the specification and drawings in which:

Fig. l is a longitudinal sectional view of my improved capping head;

Fig. 2 is a view similar to Fig. l on a reduced scale showing the die closed before crimping;

4 Claims. (Cl. 226-436) Fig. 3 is a view similar to Fig. 2 on an enlarged scale showing the parts in a moved position to crimp the closure;

Fig. 4 is a sectional view as seen at 44 of Fig. 3; and,

Fig. 5 is a perspective of one of the die segments.

The invention comprises essentially the provision of a specially shaped or contoured plunger head which controls the movement of a plurality of quadrantal pivoting die segments in such a manner that pressure on the closure is initially applied to the top of the cap or closure whereupon the plunger moves downwardly, crimping the closure around the neck of the container by means of axial rather than radial pressure.

My improved capping head is intended to be secured in the standard spindle it of a conventional capping machine. Such a machine is provided with a reciprocable piston l I which is movable in spindle it by means of mechanism not shown. The capping head per se comprises a flanged coupling 12 which is threaded into a counter-bore on spindle l9. Coupling I2 is counter-bored at its bottom at 13 and carries a spring loaded plunger [4 which is retained in the bore of coupling l2 by means of a helical compression spring 15 and a lock nut 16 threaded onto an extension ll of the plunger and tightly seated against shoulder [8. The lower end of coupling I2 is provided with a sleeve 20 having an arcuate shoulder 2! which tapers outwardly and downwardly to form a fulcrum 22 for a plurality of die segments 23, 23.

In the preferred embodiment, I provide four quadrantal die jaws or segments (Fig. 5) each of which has a lower crimping flange 25 and an annular groove 26 that carries a garter spring 21. Each jaw is relieved or under cut at 28, 28 to permit the jaws to pivot on fulcrum 22 under pressure of spring 21 as shown in Fig. 1.

Plunger i4 is provided with a specially shaped head 30 which is recessed at 3! so that the conventional tear tab (not shown) on the closure 32 for ampoule 33 will not be injured. The bottom face of head 30 is also provided with an annular flange 34 in which the closure 32 securely fits when the ampoule and closure are inserted in the capping head as shown in Fig. 1. The head 30 of the plunger then extends upwardly in the form of a truncated cone having a relatively gradual taper so that when the shoulder 35 on head 30 abuts the outside of flange l3, spring 21 pivots all of the segments 23 to the position shown in Fig. 1 in which the flanges 25 on the segments are spread radially outward.

Fig. 1 shows the ampoule 33 and cap 32 in position just after the capping head has been lowered to enclose the neck of the ampoule. At this point, there is no further movement of the spindle IE! but piston II is actuated to move plunger I4 downwardly. This action immediately pivots segments 23, 23 on fulcrum 22 by means of the relatively sharp taper of inverted conical surface 36 on head 30, and simultaneously presses closure =32 tightly onto the neck of ampoule 33. With the apparatus and ampoule in this position, the flanges 25, 25 on each jaw segment form a continuous annular upsetting or crimping face against which the lower rim of the closure 32 is pressed and crimped by downward movement of piston H and plunger l4. During this continued movement of the plunger and cap, the segments are locked in the closed position by the cylindrical surface 3'! on plunger head 30 since this surface advances into the bore formed by the closed segments.

Fig. 3 shows the maximum downward piston travel and illustrates the manner in which the closure is securely compressed on the edge of the container and then the lower lip of the closure formed or pressed around the container neck 38. After the above described crimping action has been completed, the piston ll is moved upwardly whereupon spring I5 immediately returns plunger M to its initial position as shown in Fig. 1 and spring 21 opens the die segments 23, 23 so that the properly sealed ampoule can be removed and the operation repeated.

It will thus be understood that I have provided an improved capping head which is simple, inexpensive, easy to manufacture, and which requires no critical adjustment or clearances. As a result, closures of the type used for medicinal containers and especially ampoules of serum can be positively and safely sealed without danger of loss or deterioration of the contents.

Having thus described my invention, I claim:

1. In a device for the capping of a container with a closure cap which fits over the top of the container and has a portion to be crimped inwardly to secure it to the container, a plurality of crimping die segments pivotally supported intermediate their ends, each of said segments having a crimping flange at its lower extremity, spring means engaging said die segments above their pivot points to spread the lower extremities of said segments outwardly for insertion within said segments of the top of the container and an associated cap, a vertically movable plunger, a pressure face at the lower end of said plunger to engage the top of the container cap upon downward movement of the plunger, an upwardly-divergent camming surface on said plunger engageable with the upper portions of said die segments and located on the plunger in relation to said pressure face to move the lower extremities of said die segments inwardly beneath the container cap substantially coincidently with the engagement of said pressure face with the top of the container cap, and a surface on said plunger above said camming surface engageable with the upper portions of said die segments to retain the segments in their closed operative position for engagement of their crimping flanges with the container cap during continued downward movement of said plunger, whereby the crimping operation takes place while the cap is pressed tightly on the container by said plunger.

2. A device according to claim 1, further including a downwardly-divergent surface on said plunger, immediately below said upwardly-divergent surface, engageable by the upper portions of said die segments to control the spread position of the segments when said plunger is raised.

3. In a device for the capping of a container with a closure cap which fits over the top of the container and has aportion to be crimped inwardly to secure it to the container, a vertical receptacle into which the top of the container and an associated cap may be inserted, a plurality of die segments within said receptacle pivotally supported intermediate their ends on the inside of the receptacle, each of said segments having a crimping flange at its lower extremity, spring means engaging said die segments above their pivot points to spread the lower extermities of said segments outwardly, a vertically movable plunger in said receptacle, a pressure face at the lower end of said plunger to engage the top of the container cap upon downward movement of the plunger, an upwardly-divergent camming surface on said plunger engageable with the upper portions of said die segments and located on the plunger in relation to said pressure face to move the lower extremities of said die segments inwardly beneaththe container cap substantially coincidently with the engagement of said pressure face with the top of the container cap, and a surface on said plunger above said camming surface engageable with the upper portions of said die segments to retain thesegments in their closed operativeposition for engagement of their crimping flanges with the container cap during continued downward movement of said plunger, whereby the crimping operation takes place while the cap is pressed tightly on the container by said plunger.

4. A device according to claim 3, further including a downwardly-divergent surface on said plunger, immediately below said upwardly-divergent surface, engageable by the upper portions of said die segments to control the spread position of the segments when said plunger is raised.

JOSEF MiiLLER-sTaoBEL.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 930,144= Brewington Aug. 3, 1909 933,057 Brewington Sept. 7, 1909 1,060,201 Meyer Apr. 29, 1913 1,161,924 Cassady Nov. 30, 1915 2,204,594 Hogg June 18, 1940 

